1
as in inventive
having the skill and imagination to create new things
an imaginative child who is always writing short stories about her pet cat
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2
as in innovative
showing a noteworthy use of the imagination and creativity especially in inventing
found an imaginative gadget that can grind the beans and heat the water to brew coffee
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Recent Examples of imaginative
It is layered, living, and fiercely imaginative—combining archival imagery, symbolic artifacts, and original artwork by the students themselves.
—
Janee Bolden, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
This subtle bait and switch from a national identity crisis to a personal identity crisis is imaginative and, for a time, intriguing, with Gadebois doing some very heavy lifting as the bad guy that means well but, nevertheless, behaves appallingly.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
This gift not only honors Arlen and Harburg’s imaginative genius but also preserves the legacy of the music that has captured the hearts of generations.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 25 Aug. 2025
Kompany will have to get imaginative.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for imaginative
Janee Bolden, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
This subtle bait and switch from a national identity crisis to a personal identity crisis is imaginative and, for a time, intriguing, with Gadebois doing some very heavy lifting as the bad guy that means well but, nevertheless, behaves appallingly.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
This gift not only honors Arlen and Harburg’s imaginative genius but also preserves the legacy of the music that has captured the hearts of generations.
—Paul Grein, Billboard, 25 Aug. 2025
Kompany will have to get imaginative.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for imaginative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for imaginative
Adjective
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There’s humor, insight, and a ton of catchy and inventive premises here.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
10 Sep. 2025
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Still, these issues fade into the background as you’re presented with some of the most inventive and subversive artistic creations of 2025.—
Matt Gardner,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Often, the most innovative solutions come from combining AI insights with human wisdom from diverse sources.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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What transpired were innovative and somewhat futuristic trousers, blazers, and outerwear.—
Robyn Mowatt,
Essence,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Still, Target is taking aim at its biggest problem, and given the declining fortunes of this classic American brand, that alone constitutes a creative step in the right direction.—
Dan Gingiss,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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From a creative perspective, who was the better playwright, Inchbald the professional or Austen, who merely played around at it in her fiction?—
Emily Zarevich,
JSTOR Daily,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Hacking a pre-Internet console Making this amusing amalgam of past and present technology possible required some clever engineering.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
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If so, its still a quick and clever method for styling a bun in a pinch.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The music industry – any field in entertainment, actually – can be fraught with exciting parties, events, and the spoils that come with hitting it big, but all of these things have spelled the downfall for too many talented artists.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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The Ravens made an argument for the NFL’s most talented team.—
Saad Yousuf,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Imaginative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/imaginative. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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